Ramoji Rao, son surrender in land dispute case, get bail

Hyderabad, Feb 20 (IANS) Media baron Ramoji Rao and his son Kiran Wednesday gave themselves up to the police in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in connection with a cheating case. They were later released on bail. Rao, who owns the largest circulated Telugu daily Eenadu and over a dozen television channels, and his son surrendered before III Town police station in Visakhapatnam.

The police, which registered a case of cheating against them, arrested the duo and brought them before chief metropolitan magistrate, who released them on bail as per the orders of Andhra Pradesh High Court. The police said they were granted bail on two sureties of Rs.10,000 each.

The high court Monday directed Rao and Kiran to give themselves up to the police within 10 days and obtain bail in the criminal case when the duo approached the court seeking anticipatory bail.

The case was filed by M.A.E.K.K. Varma of Visakhapatnam a few days ago, alleging that Rao and his son indulged in fraud.

According to Varma, he gave 2.70 acres of land in Visakhapatnam on a 33-year lease to Ushodaya Publications owned by Rao in 1974.

Ushodaya, of which Kiran is the managing director, reportedly surrendered 517 square yards of land to the government for road-widening without the knowledge of Varma and in lieu of it obtained an alternative land and got it registered in its name.

After the expiry of 33-year lease period, Ushodaya approached Varma for renewal of the lease agreement when the landowner noticed the change in land boundaries. He lodged a complaint with the III Town police.

Rao, however, maintained that he never surrendered any of the leased land and, hence, the question of getting land in lieu of the surrender did not arise.